The Archangel Rises
by RavenRunning
Summary: Hawke returns to Sabaody with new powers and new strengths, ready to continue her adventures with Luffy and the Straw Hats. She will fight with all her might to make sure her brother and friends achieve their dreams. She has to... because the day her dream is fulfilled will be the last day she sees them. There will be canon divergence eventually. (Sequel to Enter the Angel) HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1: Goodbyes and Hellos

**Chapter 1**

 **Goodbyes and Hellos**

 **19 years ago**

 _Cielle heard the footsteps coming up around the corner. She knew she was running out of time. Grabbing the rope, she let it run through her fingers, ignoring the burning sensation and the screams and shots ringing around the ship._

 _"I won't let them get you," she whispered as a splash let her know the lifeboat was in the water._

 _The white haired woman leapt onto the rail, using the rigging for support as she readied herself to jump down. Her eyes fixed on the small bundle placed securely between the two benches in the lifeboat. The small baby girl looked up with bright green eyes and a smile broke into her little face._

 _"You'll do great things," the mother smiled down at her daughter, "My little bird… you won't know your father, but he loved you more than anything. Just as I do."_

 _She tensed her legs and leapt into the air. But a cry escaped her lips as something closed around her arm and dragged her back._

 _"No!" she screamed as she was pulled over the rail, away from her baby girl, "No! Hawke!"_

 _"What have we here?" a crazed laugh came from behind her and Cielle quickly turned, her hand reaching for the gun that was always strapped to her thigh._

 _The pirate before her lifted his already bloody sword._

 _"Aren't you a pretty thing?" he cackled and brought his weapon down, beating the woman in speed._

 _Cielle felt the blade pierce her skin at her throat and knew this was the end._

 _She turned her body, trying to get one last glimpse of the boat that was floating away from the ship._

My little bird…

 _"I love you," her body sank to the deck and lay still._

 _Over the sounds of the battle, now dying down, a baby's crying could be heard, slowly fading into the distance._

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **3 years ago**

 _Makino sighed as she closed the door to the bar and saw a kitchen knife embedded in the wood behind it._

 _"I keep finding pieces of her," the barlady smiled sadly as she extricated the cutlery._

 _It had been a week since she had found the note Hawke had left on her bed, wishing her goodbye and telling Makino not to worry about her._

 _"If only we'd told her," the green-haired woman said quietly as she began cleaning up her bar._

 _She had obeyed Garp's orders for seven years and not told Hawke Luffy's whereabouts. In fact, Makino had been excited for the coming months, since she knew Ace wanted to set out soon and that meant that he and Luffy would return to the village and Hawke would finally be able to see her brother again._

 _But the young girl had been too restless and eager to set out on her own. And now she was gone, off to find her brother and heading in the exact opposite direction to where he actually was._

 _Makino paused in her sweeping and looked around the bar. The silence pressed heavily on her ears. There was no clink of dishes being cleaned in the kitchen, no dull thumps of knives being thrown into walls, no soft humming coming from the room upstairs, and no quiet giggles coming up behind her before arms wrapped around her waist._

 _"I miss you, Hawke," Makino wiped a tear away as it fell down her cheek, "Please be safe."_

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **2 years ago**

 _"She was looking at the wanted posters again," Lieutenant Commander Shyro muttered as he surveyed the now empty room that Hawke had been occupying for the past two and a half years._

 _Falda came up beside him and let out a sigh._

 _"We knew she wasn't going to stay forever," the tall woman ran her fingers through her long blonde hair, "She always said she was searching for her brother. Vice Admiral Garp told us to let her stay as long as she wanted."_

 _Shyro frowned, twirling his short, but always well oiled, moustache between his forefinger and thumb. He was still wearing his marine uniform, having just returned from headquarters. He turned to his wife, who was wearing a soft yellow sundress and had been enjoying her day off from teaching new recruits how to manage a ship._

 _"I know," he muttered, "But it's the fact that she was looking at the wanted posters right before she left is what worries me."_

 _Falda rolled her eyes._

 _"I always suspected it would turn out like this," she moved back down the hall towards the kitchen, "She's come such a long way from the little girl you rescued from that pirate ship. At least she said goodbye."_

 _Shyro nodded as he followed his wife into the dining room and sat down to eat._

 _Both marines paused before eating, looking at the empty chair placed between them._

 _"Vice Admiral Garp will kill us if he finds out she left to join a pirate crew…" Shyro cleared his throat nervously._

 _Falda sent a sad smile down the table._

 _"Don't talk like that," she said calmly, "The Vice Admiral's granddaughter is not going to become a pirate."_

 _Shyro looked own at his plate and began on his meal._

 _"I hope not," he muttered, his fingers on his moustache again, "And she was showing such good progress. I was going to get her to help with the new cadet's sword training this year…"_

 _Falda reached across the table and rested her hand on her husband's._

 _"I'm going to miss her too," she said softly._

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **2 years ago**

 _Luffy barely kept the smile on his face as Hawke wrote something on his arm with a marker. He knew that Rayleigh had told him to have a specific thing written there as a message to his crew, but he forgot what it was at the moment. Good thing Hawke remembered._

She always remembers _, the thought ran thought the rubberboy's head as his sister stepped away._

 _"I'm sure everyone will understand this," she said, her body tense, "Zoro might have a bit of trouble, but I'm sure he'll get it eventually."_

 _Luffy laughed, but the sound was hollow in his ears._

 _"Zoro'll be fine," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder._

 _He met his sister's gaze and she sighed. He could see his reflection in her watery eyes._

No _, Luffy didn't want her to be sad. She had helped him feel better, and now he was making her feel sad._

 _Just then Rayleigh called over to them; they were ready to set sail._

 _Luffy waved, then put his hands on both of Hawke's shoulders._

 _"See you in two years at Sabaody?" he asked, a small choke in his voice._

 _He had meant this to sound happy, but instead he saw tears in his sister's eyes._

Smile!

 _He held her tight as she hugged him._

 _"I'll be there waiting for you."_

 _The words were whispered, almost inaudible, but to the rubberboy she might as well have shouted it at the top of her lungs._

 _Those were the words he'd needed to hear. The words that told him Hawke was okay. That she would be okay until he saw her again. Just like when they'd been separated as children. They would both get stronger and then meet up and sail on. Just like he'd promised!_

 _"I'll see you there!" he laughed and ran over to the ship that Rayleigh and Jinbei were already on._

Wait for me! Hawke!

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **2 weeks ago**

 _A huge galleon sat in still waters, far ahead on the New World Sea. A heavy snow fall the night before had coated the entire deck in calf-deep snow and most of it was still undisturbed. Silence hung in the air, despite the large crowd of men standing along the rails. All eyes were focused on the patch of snow in the middle of the deck._

 _A pattern had been trodden out in the drifts; a message left by someone who was no longer among them._

 _"She's gone?" a voice broke the silence, but no one offered an answer._

 _"Okay, foods ready!" a call came up from within the ship._

 _The crowd slowly moved off the deck, casting sad glances over their shoulders before heading down to the galley._

 _The last man to reach the door paused and looked back one last time._

 _"We just saw her last night," he mumbled, "I guess we should've figured it out after her speech..."_

 _A man with a long moustache, who was half way down the stairs, turned back and saw his friend paused._

 _"It's alright, Matty," the man called up, "I'm sure we'll see her again."_

 _Matty let out a sigh and entered the ship._

 _"But it's not going to be the same," he mumbled, closing the door behind him, leaving the deck undisturbed._

 _The imprint of a snow angel and the word "Goodbye" drawn out at the angel's feet were left to start melting in the warm morning sun._

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **Present**

Red and orange sunbeams filled the air with a warm blanket of calm. The sound of popping bubbles was soothing to the ears and there was a general atmosphere of relaxation spread over Sabaody Archipelago this evening.

A hooded, white-cloaked figure moved silently around the outskirts of the groves, keeping to the shadows that the setting sun cast through the towering trees.

The figure paused for a moment and a hand emerged from between the folds. A white square of paper sat in the center of the palm and, as the figure stood still, the paper scooted forward. As soon as it moved, the hand disappeared once again into the cloak and the figure moved on.

The sound of raucous laughter suddenly pierced the air and the figure froze before quickly crouching down behind a small bluff. A crowd of happily drunk men staggered past and continued on their way, completely oblivious to the person watching after them. Said person quickly moved on and kept to the water's edge. As it rounded the bend, the silhouette of a ship came into view and the figure froze. Then took off at a rapid sprint, making a bee line for the ship.

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Hawke lowered her hood and let a laugh escape her lips as she saw the flamboyant cyborg strike his signature pose.

"Franky!" she shouted and ran down the hill, jumping across the rail and landing in a bear hug, her face pressing against his cold metal chest.

"Ow! Is this our Hawke-san?!" Franky returned her hug and then let her down, "I missed your smiling face!"

Hawke giggled and looked down, noticing the squishiness under her feet.

"Is this the coating that Rayleigh-san said he'd put on?" she asked, spinning in a circle, her cloak whirling around her body, "I can't believe there isn't a scratch on our Thousand Sunny! It's good to see you too, by the way, Sunny."

She stroked her hand along the squishy railing.

"Yeah," Franky nodded, "We seem to have had _super_ good luck on our side."

Hawke smiled up at him, then patted her bag.

"I'm going to put my stuff away," she said, "Has anyone else arrived? I haven't been to see Shakki yet."

The cyborg sent her a smirk.

"I'm the second. I got here a week ago," he pointed a huge thumb at himself boastfully, "The first was the swordsman."

Hawke's eyes lit up and she felt her cheeks redden.

"Zoro's already here?!" she let out a gasp and hurried to the girl's room.

Excitement was bubbling joyfully inside her as she busied herself with unpacking all her belongings. Placing a brown, leather bound book under her pillow, she quickly hung her clothes in the closet and threw the bag under her bed.

Hawke took off her cloak and looked at herself in the mirror. She had on a red, loose fitting, halter top with blue skinny jeans and knee high brown boots. Her leather jacket was once again slung around her shoulders, though it now only came down to the bottom of her ribcage. She did a twirl and frowned slightly as she saw the large tear down the back of her jacket. She had stitched it up with black thread but it was still quite visible.

"That damn Momonga," she muttered as she patted her hair down.

Her natural brown locks were back and had grown much longer, coming down to her butt. A white ribbon was now tied at the top of her braid, fluttering slightly whenever she moved. The gold chain around her neck now held a silver locket as well as the gold cross and red bead. And around her waist hung, slantwise, a beautiful black leather holster, which is where she kept her knives. There were twelve sheathes in the holster, each decorated with patterns of swirling vines, plump grapes and diving swallows. Nine of the holsters were filled, eight of them with her own black and gold knives and one with a delicate, jeweled, silver dagger. Hawke sighed sadly as her eyes moved over the three empty sheathes. Two were supposed to be filled with her knives, the ones she'd lost two years ago on this very island.

After doing another once-over in the mirror, she nodded and made her way back out onto the deck.

Franky was waiting for her at the base of the stairs.

"Here," he held out a mini-snail phone to her, "Ow! Take this so we can stay in touch."

Hawke took it and nodded.

"I'm going to go explore," she said, jumping onto the railing and leaping gracefully over to the shore.

"Hey!" she heard the cyborg calling after her, "Keep a low profile! We _super_ need to keep quiet until everyone's here. And I'll need you to go buy some stuff for me tomorrow."

Hawke waved over her shoulder, already heading off towards the Rip-Off Bar.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Hawke hesitated as her hand landed on the doorknob, but it was a fleeting pause. The door opened with a soft creak and she stepped inside.

She grinned as she saw Shakki look up and smile.

"So the third one's arrived," the bar-lady said, pouring a dark liquid into a glass and passing it to a silver haired man at the bar.

"I've already been to see Franky," Hawke smiled.

Rayleigh turned to her and nodded.

"I'm glad you got back here safely and without getting caught," he gave her a smile.

"Well it has been two years," Hawke said, "People are much less vigilant now. It's so good to see you Rayleigh-san! Does that mean-?"

But Rayleigh was shaking his head.

"I left him six months ago," he said, taking a sip from his glass, "I'm as excited as you are to see how much he's improved."

Shakki lit her cigarette and leaned onto the bar.

"I heard that swordsman-san wanted to go fishing," she said, a sly note in her voice, "But I don't know where he could be."

Hawke felt her heart begin to beat faster and fought against the flush rising in her cheeks.

"That's okay," she said hurriedly, turning back around, "I can find him. I hope the others get here soon."

She heard a laugh as she closed the door behind her and sped back out into the groves. The sounds of bubbles popping filled the air as she jogged down the thoroughfares. She slowed to a stop and closed her eyes, taking a breath. She brought the image of the green haired swordsman to her mind, though the act intensified the ache in her heart, and focused. Within seconds, she felt a pulling sensation in her chest and started off again, quickly weaving her way through the groves.

Hawke reached the edge of the shopping district and slowed to a walk, making her way to the shore of the grove, where the grass ran down into the water.

She saw a man sitting with his back to her, facing the setting sun. Her heart beat heavily against her rib cage.

 _It's been two years_ , she thought nervously, _what if he's changed his mind?_

She stopped in her tracks, suddenly very afraid to attract his attention.

Before she could do anything, though, the man stiffened and turned his head.

 _He's sensed my presence_ , Hawke breathed in slowly, _this is it._

She stood still as the swordsman looked back at her. His face was hidden in shadow because of the bright reflection on the water behind him and she couldn't make out his expression. He slowly stood and faced her, then started taking slow steps towards her. Hawke wanted to go to him, but she couldn't get her legs to move. All the feelings she'd suppressed for the past two years came bubbling to the surface and paralyzed her.

 _What if it's changed?_ she thought fearfully.

"Hawke," she heard Zoro whisper.

His deep, masculine voice was the sweetest sound in the world to her ears. And the longing and emotion in his call completely banished any doubts she'd had. She found the strength to move her legs.

"Zoro!" she cried, her heart pounding in her ears.

Hawke took a few stumbling steps forwards, and then he was in front of her. They stood frozen, a small space separating them. There was a moment of silence; even the bubbles were still.

"I-it's been a while," Hawke stammered, unsure of how to begin and unable to meet his gaze for some reason, "You got here first then? How've you been—"

"Hawke," Zoro interrupted her.

Startled, the scout lifted her gaze to meet the swordsman's.

And then she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his lips press against hers. Tingles shot up and down her spine as she registered what was happening. And then she pressed herself against Zoro's body and returned his kiss fiercely. The relief that he still loved her washed over her and she giggled when they finally parted.

"What's so funny?" Zoro muttered softly, resting his forehead against hers, his arms still wrapped around her.

Hawke smiled as she gazed into his eye, seeing happiness in its depths that she hadn't seen in such a long time.

 _Why's the other one closed?_ She wondered, but was immediately distracted by other things.

She leaned back and took in the view of his more mature body.

"You've gotten a lot stronger, I see," she said, running her hand down his much broader chest.

"As have you," he replied, releasing her from his embrace so he could look her up and down.

Hawke saw his face flush again.

"Did you just get here?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

Hawke was reassured by his old embarrassed habit. She had been worried that they would both change too much while they were apart, but it seemed that they had only grown closer together.

"Yes," she nodded, "I met with Franky at the Sunny already."

She blushed, her heart still racing.

 _That was quite the shock, I wasn't expecting that right away…_

She reached out and wrapped her arm around Zoro's elbow. He stiffened for a moment, but then smirked and began leading her down the edge of the grove.

"So Franky's here?" the swordsman muttered.

Hawke lifted an eyebrow.

"You didn't know?" she queried, "He's been here for a week already. Have you even been to the ship yet?"

Zoro let out a huff.

"No," he grunted, "Couldn't find it, the vivre card must've been broken."

Hawke couldn't help but smile as she rolled her eyes.

"I'd hoped your sense of direction would have gotten better," she let out a laugh, running her hand absentmindedly along the hilts of her knives that hung around her waist.

Zoro's eyes followed her movement and then widened.

"Oh!" he suddenly stopped.

Hawke looked up to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Zoro began searching through his robe. Then he pulled out an object that was wrapped in red cloth.

"Here," he muttered, unwrapping the object and holding it out to her, "I managed to grab them before Kuma got to me."

Hawke stared down at two black, gold-guilded knives.

"The one's I dropped?!" she gasped, picking them up gently, hardly believing that they'd been returned to her, "I thought I'd lost them!"

She looked back up to Zoro, her eyes full of happiness.

"You had them? You kept them all this time?" she asked timidly, putting them into their new places in the holster. Only one sheathe now remained empty and Hawke wondered when it would be filled.

Zoro's cheeks grew a few shades darker and he threw the cloth over his shoulder.

"Well, I knew you'd want 'em back," he muttered.

Hawke's heart soared and she flung herself at the swordsman, wrapping her arms up around his neck and her lips finding his again. The fact that those were the same words he'd spoken to her when he'd retrieved her leather jacket from the Rain Dinners Casino, so long ago, was not lost on the scout.

 _He always manages to bring back everything I've lost_ , she thought, overcome with a feeling of immense gratitude.

She was so happy that she had made it back okay, she was so happy that _Zoro_ had made it back okay, she was happy that they were closer than ever and she was extremely happy that he was hungrily returning her kiss. She lost herself in the warmth of the swordsman's body.

Bringing her hand up, her fingers wove themselves through the hair at the base of Zoro's neck. The swordsman let out a soft groan and deepened the kiss.

 _Oh no_ , Hawke felt the heat rising between their bodies, _this is escalating quickly._

Her chest tightening and her breath came in almost painful gasps as they parted.

Zoro gazed down at her. Hawke noted that his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were moving hungrily over her chest.

Before she could comment, the swordsman pulled away and took her hand in his.

"Let's go," he said, his voice sounded distracted, "I've got a place where we can wait for the others."

Hawke nodded as she was practically dragged along behind him.

"A place to stay? You haven't been sleeping at the Sunny?" she trotted along by his side as they moved through the groves, "What have you been doing?"

Zoro glanced at her.

"Been trying to fish," he grunted, "But nobody seems to know where the good places are."

Hawke lifted an eyebrow.

"Fishing?" she asked, "Since when do you like to fish?"

Zoro ignored her question and stopped walking, looking around with a confused expression on his face.

Hawke rolled her eyes.

"You don't know where it is do you?" she sighed.

The swordsman frowned, but then shook his head.

"Well what's it called?" Hawke asked.

"I think it was the Kraken's Cave?" Zoro muttered, scratching his head.

Hawke nodded and quickly drew the attention of a passing man.

"Excuse me," she smiled, "But would you happen to know where the Kraken's Cave Inn is?"

The man nodded and pointed back the way they had come.

"It's three groves that way," he said, then paused and eyed the pair of them, "Have I seen you two before?"

Hawke stiffened and glanced back at Zoro.

She didn't think people would begin to recognize them this quickly!

"Oh, I don't think so," she smiled, "We just got here, we're traveling on our honeymoon."

The man shrugged before wish them his best and walking off.

"Honeymoon?" Zoro's voice in her ear sent shivers down her spine, making her blush furiously.

"I had to say something!" she stammered, pushing him away, "Let's go find the place."

She grabbed Zoro's hand and quickly retraced their steps. After asking another woman for directions, they finally came to a large, elegant looking inn.

"Here it is," Zoro muttered, as if he'd known where it had been all along.

Hawke rolled her eyes and followed him into the inn and up to the second floor.

Her eyes flitted around the room as she walked in after Zoro. It was quite spacious, with the bed occupying one wall and a door in the other, which Hawke assumed was the bathroom. There was a desk and chair, as well as a large wardrobe. Along with a deep purple rug that covered the floor, the whole room had a neat appearance.

"It's nice," she said as she took off her holster and placed it on the desk, "How did you find a place like this?"

"Well, someone set me up here once I found out I was number one," Zoro grunted.

"Oh?" Hawke sent a curious glance his way and wondered who had helped the swordsman.

Zoro moved across the room and sat on the chair, kicking off his shoes. Hawke watched as he gave her a nervous glance and rubbed the back of his head.

"So Franky's probably getting the ship ready to sail…" his voice trailed off, causing Hawke to lift her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I figured I'd stay out of his way during the day. He said he has jobs for us to do tomorrow though," she went over and sat down on the bed, since there was no other seat, "I can't wait to finally sleep on the Sunny again!"

Zoro let out a frustrated sigh and suddenly stood, moving so he was standing in front of her. Hawke blinked and sat still as his hand reached out and took her hair ribbon between his fingers.

"I… I missed you," his voice was gruff and hesitant.

The colour in Hawke's cheeks rose multiple shades and she opened her mouth to tell him that it was okay, they were back together. But her words were whisked away as Zoro bent down and kissed her.

She felt his hands on her shoulders as he gently lifted her to a standing position.

"Zoro," she whispered his name when they parted.

The swordsman held his face inches away from hers. Their gaze locked together and Hawke saw a tremendous longing in his eye.

"Too long…" he said softly and pulled her closer, "I won't let that happen ever again."

Hawke's eyes widened as Zoro pressed his body to hers. She rested her chin on the swordsman's shoulder and let out a contented sigh.

But then she felt his hand moving down along her waist and slide over the front of her jeans.

Hawke quickly took a step back, an unwanted feeling of fear suddenly curdling in her stomach.

 _Damn it!_ she clenched her teeth.

She cleared her throat, pushing down the sick feeling that had suddenly risen in it.

 _Get a grip_ , she told herself, _this is Zoro._

"I… missed you too," she spoke shakily, "And I never want to be apart again… but…let's not go too fast."

Her arms moved protectively around her body and clenched her fists. But before she could try and explain anything further, Zoro lifted her chin and met her gaze. His fingers gently weaved into her hair as his lips pressed against her own. When they parted again, she could see a slight frown on his face and a dark look flashed across the swordsman's eyes.

"Okay," he said simply.

Hawke blinked and gave a weak smile.

"Umm… c-can I stay with you for a little while?" she asked tentatively.

She caught the immediate spark that lit up Zoro's eye and smiled warmly when he nodded his head. He stepped back and stretched out on the bed. Hawke sat down and wriggled up beside him, placing her head on his chest. She immediately felt his arm wrap protectively around her shoulders, his fingers gripping her tightly.

"So where were you these past two years?" she asked as she snuggled into his body.

She felt a thrill move through Zoro, but his voice was level and calm when he spoke.

"Fighting baboons and ghosts," he grunted.

Hawke let out a giggle and looked up at him, her gaze pausing on his scarred left eye, but quickly moving on. She had a feeling Zoro didn't want to be asked about that.

"What about you?" his question made her start.

"Oh," she smiled, "…Fighting crocodiles."

Zoro lifted an eyebrow and shrugged. But Hawke felt his fingers grip her a little tighter.

"So how long do you think it's going to take the others to get here?" he muttered, leaning his head back on the pillow.

Hawke relaxed and closed her eyes, feeling the movement of Zoro's chest as he breathed and listening to the beating of his heart.

"Well, I think it'll be a few days yet," she whispered.

"Yeah," the swordsman's hands tightened their grip on her shoulder and he turned his body, pulling her in close.

"Can I stay here with you until then?" Hawke whispered softly, wrapping her arms around Zoro and burying her face in his chest.

"Yeah."


	2. Chapter 2: Hellos and Goodbyes

**Chapter 2**

 **Hellos and Goodbyes**

Hawke wove her way through the fair district, munching happily on cotton candy and watching children frolic through the crowd, begging their parents to let them go on the rides.

 _There haven't been as many marines around as I remember. Must be because the Navy moved their headquarters,_ she thought as the sound of crashing glass drew her attention to a bar filled with rowdy pirates, _so it makes sense that there are even more pirates than usual._

The scout moved on, now jogging through the tourist district. Vendors called out from every shopfront and corner, selling their wares. But Hawke passed them by; she wasn't buying anything today.

During the past week, she and Zoro had been taking turns surveying the Archipelago, looking for signs of their other crewmate's returns and relaying any news back to Franky on the snail phone.

A few days after Hawke had made it to Sabaody, Nami arrived and had dragged the scout out on multiple shopping trips and spa visits. Hawke had to admit that she'd missed the orange haired woman's company (or any girl's company for that matter) and enjoyed every minute of it.

Usopp and Chopper had followed, and Hawke was amazed at how much their doctor had grown in two years. And Usopp was much more muscular than she remembered; it looked good on him.

Today, Zoro had gotten his urge to fish again and Hawke had let him go do what he wanted as she found the prospect quite boring. And besides, she had other plans.

As the scout passed a signpost, her eyes found another one of those posters. Hawke frowned and tore the paper off, crumpling it up in her hands. There had been many posters advertising that Straw Hat Luffy was looking for new crew members. But Hawke had immediately seen through them. Luffy didn't get new crewmates like this! And she had found out the truth about their imposters one evening when she'd seen them bullying a poor bar tender, trying to get free drinks. The whole lot of them were repulsive and looked nothing like the Straw Hat's wanted posters. But they instilled enough fear that no one questioned them. Hawke had talked Zoro into not doing anything about them yet. They couldn't cause a fuss until everyone was back together and they could leave.

Hawke let out a frustrated sigh as she rounded a corner and sped towards her destination.

"I would love to give that fake me a piece of my mind!" she snapped, recalling the horrible mini skirt and overly flirtatious attitude of the woman pretending to be her.

Just then, a roaring sound was heard above the buzz of the crowd and Hawke smiled. She was nearly there. Rounding another corner, she spotted the line outside the Sabaody Dome and joined it.

 _I can't wait to hear Brook sing!_ she clasped her hands excitedly as she looked over the poster hanging on the fence next to her.

It read: "The SoulKing Brook, World Tour", and had a large headshot of the skeleton in the background, his afro taking up most of the poster.

Hawke and the others had decided that she would go to the concert to let the skeleton know they were almost ready. The only one who had yet to arrive now was Luffy, since Sanji and Robin had reached the island this morning.

Hawke followed the crowd into the stadium and squeezed her way to the front. It wasn't long before the curtain rose and she saw her old friend and his new guitar moving to the very catchy beat.

The performance was spectacular! Hawke kept trying to grab her crewmate's attention, but the roar of the audience was too loud so she settled for enjoying herself and dancing along to the infectious music.

Brook did his trademark 45 degree angle thing and then went offstage for the intermission. Hawke quietly snuck off and followed down to the Soul King's dressing room.

"Excuse me, Miss," a man with a headset and clipboard came up to her and waved her away, "There aren't any fans allowed backstage."

Hawke smiled sweetly and lifted her hand. The man let out a sharp cry as he was suddenly pushed away by an invisible force. He stumbled backwards down the hall, waving his arms wildly as he tried to maintain his balance.

"What?!" his eyes widened in alarm.

"Don't worry, you're not in any danger," Hawke said soothingly as she walked by and knocked on Brook's door, "I just need to talk to him."

She heard his familiar voice from behind the wood.

"Oh? And who could that be?"

Hawke smiled and turned the handle, stepping into the dressing room. At the same time, the force pushing the man back down the hall disappeared and he quickly regained his balance before storming towards Hawke. But the girl had already closed the door of Brook's dressing room behind her.

"A marvelous concert, Soul King," she said as the skeleton stood to face her, "Definitely worth the ticket price."

"O-ooooh!" Brook sang out, throwing his hands up in the air, "If it isn't my dearest Hawke-san!"

He took two large steps over to where she stood and made a deep bow.

"May I see your panties now?" he asked hopefully.

Hawke held the skeleton by his shoulders before wrapping him in a warm hug.

"No, you absolutely cannot!" she laughed.

She then wasted no time in explaining what Shakki and the others had organized in order for Brook to accompany them.

"That is," Hawke lowered her voice, "If you still want to come sail with us…"

She had been nervous, from the moment she'd seen the posters, that Brook would prefer his newfound fame to being an infamous pirate. But her worries were immediately dashed when she saw his teeth bend upwards in a smile.

"Of course," Brook said quietly, "I see. Yes, but just give me a bit more time. My fans are calling for an encore."

Hawke smiled and nodded.

"One last performance?" she gave him a thumbs up, "I'll be right in the front row."

Brook followed her out of the dressing room and back towards the stage. The stage hand was waiting outside and immediately put his hand firmly on Hawke's shoulder.

"I'll have to get security to escort you off the premises, Miss," he said sternly.

But Brook lifted a bony hand.

"Why on earth would you do that to my friend?" he asked.

The stage hand's eyes widened.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, "Sorry, Soul King. I thought she was just another crazed fan."

Hawke smiled.

"Sorry for scaring you," she said, "But I had to speak to him before the performance started again."

The stage hand gave her a nervous look, but then walked off.

"What was that about?" Brook leaned down to ask.

Hawke shrugged her shoulders.

As they neared the curtain, Hawke stiffened, sensing many more people out there with a different intent.

"The marines are here," she muttered, "Your secret has been found out, Soul King."

Brook put a bony hand on her shoulder and gave a chuckle.

"That's alright," he said, "The fans won't stop shouting, so I must return to them."

Hawke watched as he strode out on stage to greet the roar of the crowd. She quickly closed her eyes and located all the marine forces and was satisfied that their plan would still work. Then she returned to her place at the front rail, right at the base of the stage.

As the notes of Brooks first strum on his guitar faded away, a silence fell over the crowd.

"Actually," Brook spoke into the microphone, "There's something I gotta tell you all."

There was a tense silence.

"Today, the Soul King will-"

Just then gunfire rang out and Hawke sensed the marines making their move. A snail phone was rigged up and the navy quickly accused Brook of being a pirate. And things were made more interesting when Brook's managers came out on stage and held a gun on the musician.

Hawke bit her lip in the silence that followed. Then Brook lifted his hand.

"Supporting band," he said quietly, "Chorus, dancers…" he moved his hand and pointed down at Hawke, "And my dear friend. Please accompany me for one last song! It'll be alright, my music has become more powerful!"

The managers tried to stop him, but Brook merely thanked them and lifted the microphone, speaking out to the crowd.

"This is an island full of memories of defeat for us," the skeleton spoke, motioning to Hawke, "But it is also the island of our renewed departure! I am the musician, raising the crew's spirits during our adventures is my duty!"

Hawke smiled and made her way around the stage.

"Straw Hat Luffy is dead?" she heard Brook's voice ring around the stadium, "Nonsense! Tell this to the world, y'all!"

Hawke stepped out into the lights and made her way over to Brook's side.

"That's the Dark Angel Hawke!" a voice rang out, "She's part of Straw Hat Luffy's crew!"

 _Oh so now they recognize me right away_ , the scout thought with a raised eyebrow.

"The pirate Straw Hat Luffy is alive!" the statement rang out and the scramble of the reporters could be heard, "He is the man who will become King of the Seas someday!"

Brook lifted his hand and tilted his head towards Hawke.

"Let's send him off with a bit of noise, oh baby!" the skeleton finished with a shout, "Love him to the bone!"

The crowd roar and clapped as the first chords rang out.

"I dedicate this song to my dear companions," Brook said softly, "Please listen to my final Soul! Yeah!"

Hawke took her place beside the Soul King.

The audience began surging over the marines, slapping snail phones and weapons out of theirs hands and shouting that Soul King's song must be sung.

"You see?" Brook laughed as he struck his pose, "Music is your ally. New World."

The band began playing and the chorus's voices rang out. Hawke let Brook sing a few lines before beginning to dance around the stage, letting the jazzy beat take over once more.

"For the New World!" she sang out, "For the New World! For the New World, the world will change!"

And as the final chord was struck, there was an almighty bang and fireworks exploded around the stage. Hawke laughed and took out her wings. She grabbed Brook by his bony shoulders and flew up towards the roof, where sunlight was now streaming through a large hole.

"Yohohohoho!" Brook laughed as Hawke flew higher, "Just listen to them cheering!"

As she cleared the roof, Hawke saw one of the Rosy Life Riders circling back through the air towards them and went in to land.

"Yohohoho!" the skeleton let out another laugh as he seated himself in the saddle behind the rider, "I truly appreciate this. Your timing was perfect!"

"It was on orders from Big Sis Shakki!" the rider shouted over his shoulder, "Your crewmates are waiting in Grove 42!"

Hawke smiled as she flew alongside them.

 _So we've begun to move_ , she thought, _that must mean Luffy's here!_

"Oh that's wonderful!" Brook said, "My chest is swelling with anticipation. Oh, though I don't have a chest! Yohohoho!"

Hawke laughed and flipped through the air. It was so nice hearing the same old jokes; like they had never been separated.

 _But we have been_ , she thought as she righted herself, _I wonder how much stronger Luffy and the others are. I can't wait to see him!_

As they flew on over the Archipelago, making for Grove 42, Hawke heard a commotion below them.

"I better check that out," she muttered, "Luffy does tend to turn up in places like that."

She called over to Brook that she'd meet up with him at the Sunny and dove down. As she approached the grove, she saw a huge crowd of pirates fighting with some marines, as well as three Pacifistas, one of which was already lying, twitching on the ground.

"Looks like Luffy's work alright," she smiled as she saw the tell-tale straw hat bouncing under a huge back pack.

"Oi, Luffy!" she shouted excitedly, waving as she flew towards him.

"Oh!" she saw her brother's eyes light up when he saw her, "Hawke! There you are!"

Just then, other voices were heard above the noise of the fight.

"Luffy! So this was you after all!" Sanji and Zoro came running from a different direction, "How can you already be in trouble?"

Luffy let out an excited shout.

"There's no mistaking it this time! I really missed you guys!"

The happy moment was cut short, however, when the two remaining Pacifistas burst out of nowhere and targeted the group of them.

Hawke wasted no time. She saw one of the robots coming up behind her and plucked two knives from her holster. Then, turning around in midair, she launched her first knife at the robots head, landing it right between its eyes and lurching its neck backwards, causing the laser beam to shoot safely into the sky. Then she dove forwards and sliced the second knife through the air. As she flew up and over the Pacifista, she jerked her blade out from between its eyes and made a slash across the back of its neck and the backs of its knees for good measure. She then landed lightly on her feet, calmly returning her knives to their places in her holster before turning to see the Pacifista fall backwards, its inner workings showing clearly from the large gash made across its chest and its neck obviously broken. The machine twitched a couple times before erupting into a ball of flame and exploding.

"Stay out of our captain's way!" Hawke smirked as she hid her wings and ran up alongside her brother, seeing that Zoro and Sanji had made quick work of the other Pacifista.

There was a sudden roar and Hawke looked over her shoulder. The crowd of pirates and marines were standing there, gawking at them as they ran away.

"It's the Straw Hat Pirates!" they shouted at the top of their lungs, "The real ones! They're nothing like the fakes!"

"Of course we're not like those idiots," Hawke muttered.

"Oi, Luffy," Zoro called out, "You're the tenth."

"Shut up!" shouted Sanji, "Stop your bragging! Hurry up Luffy! Everyone's waiting at the ship!"

Then his eyes bulged out of their sockets and he leapt over to Hawke's side.

"Hawke-chwan!" he cried, "You look so b-e-a-utiful!"

The scout smiled and awkwardly pushed Sanji back before Zoro could take out his swords.

"It's nice to see you too Sanji," she said, "But we can say hello after we're underway."

The group of them took off running. Sanji was doing odd prancing steps and keeping much too close to Hawke, causing Zoro to start picking fights with the cook.

"It's been so long!" Luffy laughed as they ran, "I wonder how everyone's doing? I'm so happy!"

Just then, he skidded to a halt. Hawke stumbled and stopped, looking back over her shoulder and smiling when she saw Rayleigh standing on the hill behind them, between them and the navy.

"Rayleigh!" Luffy shouted.

Hawke heard the man's voice carrying over to them.

"I decided to come have a look, but it seems you're doing just fine," the Dark King chuckled, "You've gotten even stronger since the last I saw you."

Hawke waved her hand.

"Rayleigh-san!" she shouted, "Thank you!"

"Hurry up and get going, back to your friends," he smiled back at them.

Luffy put down his huge backpack and took a few steps forward. Hawke sent him a curious glance as he raised his fists into the air and took a deep breath.

"Rayleigh!" he said, "I'm gunna do it! I'm gunna be the Pirate King!" he finished with a laugh.

Hawke smiled and let out a giggle.

The shouting of the marines was getting closer. Hawke turned and began moving on.

"Luffy, let's go!" she called.

"Rayleigh, sorry for the trouble!" shouted Zoro as he jogged up beside her.

Hawke glanced over her shoulder to make sure Luffy was following and smiled.

"It's time we set off!" she laughed as they ran through the groves.

"Keep going all the way to the top!" Rayleigh's shout carried down to them.

The four of them hurried on, but were soon set upon by more soldiers.

"They've got us surrounded, eh?" Zoro muttered, "Guess we don't have a choice."

The group of marines in front of them charged, but then suddenly began falling to their knees and saying how much they'd like to be fleas and ticks.

"Isn't that..." Hawke trailed off as a girl in a black and pink dress floated over to them.

"So you _were_ the ones causing all this commotion," Perona muttered in a snobbish voice, her parasol held causally over her shoulder and a strange looking teddy bear tucked under her arm, "Honestly! Why are you still dawdling around here?"

Sanji sprang forwards and almost lost grip of his packages.

"You're the woman from Thriller Bark!" he cried, hearts in his eyes.

"What about you?" Zoro stepped forwards, "Why are you still here?"

Perona zoomed forwards and waved her finger in the swordsman's face.

"That's no way to speak to the one who brought you to these islands!" she snapped, "If I hadn't been here, you'd probably be over the Red Line by now! Know your place! I even got you that room at that inn because you couldn't find your way back to your own ship!"

Hawke let out a giggle at the upfront way in which the ghost princess spoke to Zoro. She could see that Perona had become used to being the swordsman's caretaker over the past two years. The ghost girl shooed Sanji away from her with a negative hollow before rounding on them once more.

"Anyway, you have to set sail quickly," she snapped, "Warships have appeared around the islands. If you don't hurry, your escape route will be cut off."

"That was fast," Hawke muttered.

"That is bad," Sanji said, "But for some reason I can't bring myself to move from this spot…"

Hawke looked over to see him leaning in to sniff at Perona.

"Sanji!" she called, coming to the ghost girl's rescue, "We have to go!"

The cook immediately sprang to attention as Zoro sent a furious glare at Hawke. She returned this glare with an apologetic look.

"Hai! Hawke-swaaaan!" Sanji sped over.

Perona floated over as well, giving her a curious stare, then a pout.

"Hawke?" she asked.

The scout nodded and there was a pause.

"Take care of him," Perona said, giving her a small smile before turning around once again.

Hawke didn't have much time to think about this request since a shadow had just fallen over the ground. Looking up, she saw a huge bird hovering above them and heard a familiar voice.

"I finally found you!" Chopper called down to them.

The bird landed and Luffy, Zoro and Sanji quickly climbed aboard and they sped off towards the others. Hawke flew easily alongside them, striking up a conversation with the bird and learning of its connection with their doctor.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Daz Bones adjusted the dark glasses on his face and leaned back against the building, making sure he was completely in the shadows. He listened to the commotion going on in the groves around him and frowned.

"They cause an uproar wherever they go," a voice grunted in annoyance, "That damn Straw Hat couldn't be subtle even if he was dead."

"At least we'll be able to track them easily," Daz spoke to the dual snail phone/surveillance snail he held in his hand.

The snail was silent for a few moments before coming to life again.

"Are you in position?" Crocodile's voice grunted, "Don't waste any time after they leave."

"I can see their ship," Daz confirmed, "But there have been more marines here than I expected, they must suspect something."

The snail frowned and opened its mouth.

"We can't afford a brush with the marines now," Crocodile muttered, "Stay out of sight. But if they identify you, they'll link you to me. Leave no survivors."

"Yes, sir," Daz replied.

Then the snail fell silent.

Daz had been instructed to see Hawke off and return quickly. Crocodile and his ship were far ahead in the New World and were waiting for his return.

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

In said ship, Crocodile sat in his private room and frowned at the snail phone that sat on his desk, displaying the visuals onto the wall in front of him.

 _I wouldn't have had to send Daz if the stupid rookie was able to set off without trouble_ , he growled inwardly.

Crocodile blew out a cloud of smoke and watched as the view that the snail offered changed. Bringing into frame the lion, sun, thing bobbing up and down with the waves.

"What a stupid figurehead," he muttered.

The snail offered no response from Daz.

In his mind's eye, Crocodile saw Hawke sitting on the tip of the crocodile's long snout of his own ship. Her hands clasping a book and her shoulders shaking. An uncomfortable feeling began rising in his chest.

"It's getting noisier over there," he grunted, hearing some shouts coming through the snail and blinking the memory away.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Back at Sabaody, Daz's eyes moved to the other end of the alley.

"I have a feeling they'll be here soon," the knife man muttered.

An answering grunt came over the line.

Just then, a group of people ran by the mouth of the alley.

"The marines are after the Straw Hats!" someone shouted.

"Watch out! There are giant bugs over there!"

"The whole squad in grove 46 have become negative!"

"We can't fire! A sudden downpour has soaked all our gunpower!"

"Rain?! Where is it raining?!"

"There are monsters and perverts attacking our men over in grove 43, sir!"

"What?! Well there's their ship! Attack!"

Daz stiffened.

"Don't interfere," he muttered.

Placing the snail on his shoulder, he quickly sped out from the alley, slashing the group of marines running past him. He felled them all in one blow before returning to the shelter of the passageway.

"Those idiots better hurry," Crocodile's voice said in his ear, "They don't have much time left _._ "

Just then, a shadow passed overhead, drawing Daz's attention upwards. A giant bird was flying over and the tell-tale straw hat could be seen waving in the air.

"Finally," he grunted.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Back in the New World, Crocodile smirked as the snail was tilted upwards, bringing the large animal into view.

Then his eyes caught a figure flying alongside the bird.

 _It's her!_

Crocodile leaned forward and strained his eyes to make out Hawke's black wings.

"She's not holding back," he said.

"Well she's got nothing to hide anymore," Daz's voice came over the line as the view on the screen moved to the end of the passage, following the knife man's movements.

Crocodile watched as Hawke landed on the deck of the ship and was greeted by Nico Robin and the orange haired woman.

He felt a slight up-turn at the corners of his mouth as he caught sight of Hawke's face. He could tell, even from the distance Daz was at, that she was feeling like she was on cloud nine.

The sudden whistle of cannon fire came through the line and Crocodile caught sight of three warships approaching the islands.

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Back on Sabaody, Daz stiffened and readied to strike the cannon balls down, but the appearance of Boa Hancock made it so he needn't expose himself. This was much to his liking. He'd rather Hawke not know he was here to see her off. They had already said their goodbyes.

"They take their damn time, don't they," Crocodile's voice muttered as the ship listed on the waves, "If she gets caught here, these two years will have been for nothing!"

Daz watched as the coating was inflated and the boat was covered in a bubble.

His eyes found Hawke as she stood up on the sail, ready to let it drop. The girl turned her head to look back at the island and Daz pressed himself back into the shadows. But he could still see the smile and quiet look of curiosity on her face as she scanned the shore.

"Unfurl the sails!" Straw Hat's unmistakable yell rose above the noise of the Archipelago, "Set sail!"

Daz watched Hawke turn her attention back to her crew and leap down, letting the sails loose and landing lightly on the deck.

The ship lurched forwards and began its dive.

"Alright, they're gone," he muttered into the snail as the masts disappeared under the waves.

There was a pause before Crocodile responded.

"Get back here as fast as you can. We're three miles south of Kasha Island."

"Yes, Boss," Daz's voice sounded gruffer than usual.

He shut down the snail and shoved it into his pocket, pausing for a moment to watch the waves calm down. A wistful look passed over the knife man's face.

"Good luck," he muttered before turning and making his way back through the groves.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 _You guide them now, Hawke_ , Crocodile thought as he watched the masts sink below the waves.

He frowned as the snail phone was hung up and stared at the now blank wall.

He couldn't help but feel his mood sink along with the ship. She was gone for sure now…

The sand man stood and moved to the window of his room, gazing out at the bright and calm waters. His mind flew through the days, months, and years that Hawke had spent sailing with him, feeling the corners of his mouth lift up again and pushing down the dull ache that had begun to rise in his chest.

The silence of the upper deck grated on his ears. The room across from his was empty and there was no movement in the hall. Even the usual hum of conversation on the deck was missing. Crocodile lifted his hand and rested it on his shoulder for a few moments before letting it fall again.

 _But she won't be gone forever_ , he thought as his eyes flitted to the almost invisible compartment at the base of his hook.

This time his plan had been successful.

 _Too successful_ , the thought snuck through his mind.

"She's strong now," he muttered, "When we meet again, she'll give me trouble," he grunted, taking the cigar out of his mouth and blowing out a cloud of smoke, "But she won't be able to refuse me when the time comes."

…

…

Crocodile took a moment to compose himself, pushing the memories of the past two years down and turning his thoughts to the future. He then spun around and left his room, standing on the upper deck and looking out across the immensity of his ship. A smirk came onto his face.

"I'll be waiting for you," he muttered, "Solace D. Hawke."

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **Okay, so I have the two year skip written out... but I'm not sure how to fit it into the present story. I was thinking of just publishing it as a side story? But then I'd be releasing it simultaneously to The Archangel Rises and I don't know if that would be too confusing... I'm not sure what to do :(**

 **I may end up making it a separate story but then only updating it when it's relevant to The Archangel Rises**

 **Any suggestions at all?**


	3. Chapter 3: Onward and Downward

**Chapter 3**

 **Onward and Downward**

"Haaaaaawwwke!" Luffy's arms and neck stretched out and wrapped themselves around his sister's body, squeezing her tightly.

"Ah! Luffy!" the scout let out a gasping laugh, "I can't breathe!"

Her brother's hold on her loosened and he bounced back with a wide smile.

"It's been so long!" he laughed, "It's so nice to see you again!"

Hawke smiled warmly and stepped forward, enveloping the captain in a hug of her own.

"You were the one who decided to leave again," she teased playfully, "And I told you I'd be waiting for you."

She felt Luffy's body vibrate as he chuckled.

"Shishishi!" he stepped back and rested a hand on his hat, "This is great!"

He then spun around and stretched out his hand, grabbing the Sunny's figurehead and rocketing up to reclaim the captain's spot.

 _What an eventful start_ , Hawke smiled as she made her way up to the girls' room to grab a pair of gloves from her closet. They had entered the deeper waters now and the warmth of the sun had long gone.

 _I forgot how cold it got down here_ , she thought as she wrapped a scarf around her neck for good measure and returned to the main deck.

The man, Caribou, who had attacked them earlier was laying on the deck, securely tied up. Hawke sent him a dark glare before moving on.

Usopp and Brook were running around the deck, trying to keep Luffy and Zoro from popping the bubble to catch fish. Franky and Nami were standing near the helm, looking out at the darkening waters, and Chopper was taking care of Sanji. The poor cook was almost finished his blood transfusion and was still lying in the grass.

 _I wonder what happened to make Sanji so sensitive to women_ , Hawke wondered as she gave him a sympathetic glance.

She moved on and went over to the front rail, where Robin was sitting and reading a book.

The archeologist smiled as she approached.

"I've missed you these past two years," she said in a calm voice, resting her book on her lap and giving Hawke a warm glance, "And our departure happened so quickly, there was no time for a proper greeting."

Robin got off the railing and held her arms out to the scout. Hawke felt her heart rise in her throat and she fell into her friends embrace.

"It's so good to see you again, Robin!" her cry was muffled by the fuzzy coat the older woman was wearing, "I missed you too!"

She looked up with a wide smile plastered onto her face.

"So what have you been up too these past two years?" she asked eagerly, "Have you learned more about the True History?"

The archeologist smiled and let out a soft chuckle.

"I haven't been idle," she said, patting Hawke on the head and then stepping back, "And I have learned many new things. Once things have calmed down a little, we should sit and talk like we used too."

Hawke pouted a little.

"It's pretty calm now," she said, leaning on the rail. She was eager to find out what the archeologist had been doing and who she had been with for the past two years.

Robin smiled.

"Well then, will you tell me what you were up too?" she asked.

Hawke opened her mouth, then closed it again. Her stomach suddenly twisted into a nervous knot. _What will Robin think if I tell her I spent two years with Crocodile?!_ she suddenly wondered, recalling the past relationship between her friend and the sand man, _maybe I shouldn't tell her yet…_ The scout cleared her throat and hoped her smile looked genuine.

"Well, I've learned a lot too," she said, "But maybe we should keep an eye out for danger… the journey to Fishman Island is pretty treacherous, from what I remember. I can't wait to see the Island again. I'd forgotten how beautiful the trip down there was."

The archeologist seemed surprised for a moment, but then she smiled.

"Again?" the older woman asked.

Hawke nodded.

"I passed through it once already," she said, "It's a very interesting place."

The archeologist smiled.

"I'm excited to get there as well," she said, "I hope Hachi-san has recovered."

Hawke swallowed the relieved feeling that had risen in her throat and nodded.

"I never expected him, or Duval, or Bartholomew Kuma for that matter, to protect the Sunny to such an extent," she said, "Though I'm very grateful that they did."

There was a pause and the scout watched a giant eel loom out of the depths for a moment before sinking back into the darkness.

"It's nice being back in the old routine," the archeologist broke the silence as they heard Usopp and Chopper shouting up from the lower deck.

"Yeah," the scout sighed, "It's like we never left…"

A frown flitted over her lips, but it disappeared as fast as it came. There was a pause and Hawke stiffened as she saw a school of fish swim rapidly by, bubbles erupting from their swiftly moving fins.

"Shouldn't we be near the Plume now?" she asked.

Robin looked up and closed her book.

"Nami!" the archeologist called, "I see it!"

The crew quickly gathered at the front of the ship to ogle at the great current that flowed directly downwards to the sea floor.

Hawke smiled and leaned on the rail.

 _Even though I've seen it before_ , she thought, _it's somehow more impressive this time._

She sat back and watched her friends gawk, but then frowned as she heard some manic mumbling coming up behind her. Caribou was running around the deck saying that they had to run away… and something about the Kraken.

 _The Kraken!_ Hawke's eyes widened, _right, I'd forgotten about that._

"Luffy!" she called, "There've been rumours of a sea monster hanging around here."

"A sea monster?!" the captain's eyes shone as he began searching the water below the, "Where? Where?"

And as if response to their captains call, the Kraken appeared.

The terrifying tentacles loomed out of the deep, and the crew was flung into chaos. Luffy, Zoro and Sanji donned their bubble suits and set out to fight and tame the beast. Franky, Chopper and then Robin saved the ship from imminent destruction as everyone was tossed about the deck.

Hawke finally regained her footing and watched as her brother, Zoro and Sanji showed off some of their new abilities. She felt a sense of awe and relief as she saw just how much stronger they had become.

"They're so powerful," she whispered happily, "We'll be able to survive in the New World for sure."

 _That doesn't mean it won't be challenging though_ , a voice in her head reminded her.

Luffy knocked the Kraken out and, to everyone's surprise, a shark popped out of its breathing tube.

"Is that shark wearing clothes?" Hawke muttered as the fish swam up to the trio in their bubbles and began bobbing its head in thanks.

As the shark left and swam down the Plume current, Hawke suddenly realized that they were also about to be drawn in.

"Luffy! Zoro! Sanji!" she shouted, trying to get their attention, "Get back to the ship! You're going to get sucked down!"

But the men were already sinking fast and the Sunny soon hurtled after them.

The ride down to the sea floor was as terrifying as Hawke remembered it being. It took all the crews strength to keep the ship in the center of the current in order to dodge the edges of the continental shelf. And in the chaos, the three men and their bubbles were lost.

Hawke did her best to comfort Chopper as they sailed through the dark, silent waters seven thousand meters below the water's surface. Huge fish with white, unseeing eyes kept swimming by and frightening the little doctor.

"It's okay, Chopper," Hawke stood behind him as he and Usopp called out from the rail, looking for Luffy, Zoro and Sanji, "They probably won't bother us. We're much too small for them to eat."

"Really?" the reindeer looked up eagerly and Hawke nodded.

"Oi." Usopp suddenly began squinting at the scout.

Hawke stared back at him.

"What?" she asked as a huge, transparent fish glided past the ship.

The sniper leaned towards her until his nose was almost poking hers.

"Since when are you taller than me?!" he exclaimed.

Hawke leaned away from the intruding appendage.

"I don't know," she shrugged, "Maybe I've grown and you haven't," she held up her hand to compare their heights, "And I'm only a little taller, your hat kind of makes up for it."

Chopper turned to look up at Usopp.

"You haven't gotten taller Usopp?!" the reindeer gasped, "Even I've grown bigger!"

"Hey, hey!" the sniper backed up and tried not to look insulted, "I've grown too! It just went to my muscles instead of my height! I'm super strong now! I could probably take out all these creepy fish in one shot!"

Chopper hopped up and down on the rail.

"Really!" he shouted with excitement, "That's so cool!"

Hawke smiled and kept her hands on Chopper's waist to make sure he didn't fall off.

"Yes, that must be it," she winked at Usopp as he returned to the rail, "You sure are strong looking."

The sniper gave her a proud smirk before resuming his shouting for their lost crewmembers. Hawke turned her head slightly and her eyes moved around the deck.

"By the way," she said, looking over her shoulder, "Where did that Caribou guy go?"

The crew froze and saw the empty rope lying in the middle of the deck. There was a scramble to locate the enemy now free on their ship.

Hawke slowly surveyed the deck and her eyes came to rest on a solitary barrel that stood by the stairs. She frowned and quickly climbed up to the deck above the barrel.

 _He's in there_ , she realized as she saw a strange oozing substance leaking from the lid and sensed some movement from within, _and he's a logia fruit eater._

"Franky?" she called.

"Ow! What is it Hawke?" the cyborg came up beside her.

"Are the cola barrels leak proof?" the scout asked, keeping her eyes on her target.

"You bet," Franky nodded, "There are no leaky barrels on this ship! We need all the cola we can get!"

Hawke nodded and then climbed onto the rail.

"What are you doing?" the shipwright gave her a questioning look.

But Hawke didn't answer. She saw a tendril of the oozing sludge sneaking out of the barrel again. Taking out a knife from her holster, she swiftly threw it and the weapon made contact with the substance. As it hit, the liquid turned into a hand and retreated back into the barrel. Hawke heard a muffled shriek and she smirked as she leapt off the rail, landing squarely on the lid of the barrel and slamming it closed. She heard more sounds coming from under her feet and waved to Franky.

"He's in here!" she called, "We can trap him in so he won't be any more trouble."

Franky soon sealed Caribou up safely inside and the crew breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good eye, Hawke-san," Brook sang as he leaned on the barrel, "He would've been trouble if you hadn't found him. He seems to be a devil fruit user."

The scout smiled and picked up her knife, which had landed in the grass, returning it to her holster before turning around.

"Well I've had lots of experience with Logia-types," she said, tapping the lid of the barrel, "He'll stay put until we let him out."

Hawke returned to the rail and searched the darkness around them.

"Nami!" she called, "We have to look out for undersea vents around here. There are a lot of dangers to sail through before we get to Fishman Island."

But even with her previous experience with this adventure, Hawke was in no way prepared for their encounter with the Flying Dutchman, or the sudden reappearance of the Kraken (now tamed by Luffy) as the three men returned safe and sound. Or for the underwater volcanic explosion that followed and being carried by the Kraken over the edge of the deep see trench.

 _I'll have to get used to the unexpected again_ , Hawke smiled as light gently filtered through the water and illuminated the white sand they were now resting on, _sailing with Crocodile was nowhere near as eventful as this!_

"We're here, everyone!" she called across the deck, jumping up to stand on the Sunny's rail and pointing, "Fishman Island dead ahead!"

"Woohoo!" Luffy's fists were flung into the air, "I wonder what kind of meat they sell there?"

"Such a beautiful light," Robin shaded her eyes as she looked upwards, "Even at this extreme depth."

"Are those trees?" Brook pointed at the giant columns that rose from the ground and disappeared into the water above them.

"Those are roots," Hawke explained, "The roots of the Sunlight Tree Eve. They bring the sunlight and air all the way down to the sea floor. Since it's the only place with light, fishmen began to gather here a long time ago and eventually Fishman Island became what it is today."

"Woah! So cool!" Usopp leaned against the rail.

"Are those clouds?" Nami asked eagerly, "Is there air in there?!"

Hawke nodded and got down off the rail.

"The island itself is surrounded by an air bubble," she explained, "So humans can actually walk around the streets freely."

The navigator lifted her eyebrow at the scout.

"How do you know so much about it?" she asked.

Hawke smiled.

"Well, I'm the scout aren't I?" she laughed, "It'd be bad on my part for not knowing what was ahead of us."

Luffy sent her a wide grin.

"Oi!" he called, "What kind of meat do they sell there?!"

Hawke laughed and shook her head.

"Always with the meat," she sighed.

"Oi guys!" Franky interrupted their sightseeing, "What are those?"

Hawke turned to see many huge beasts floating in the water quite close to their ship.

"A herd of sea monsters!" Nami wailed.

Hawke stiffened and watched as the sea monsters approached and their riders were revealed.

 _They weren't causing trouble two years ago,_ she thought as she watched the fishmen, _things must've gotten worse on this island since then…_

"Hey, Kraken… why are you letting those humans boss you around…?" one of the fishmen spoke up.

The giant monster, who was still supporting the Sunny with his tentacles, suddenly jerked around, dropped them, and ran back the way they had come.

"What are you doing, Surume?!" Luffy shouted after the retreating Krakan, "Carry us for the last stretch too!"

Hawke lifted her hand.

"Luffy," she called, her voice and eyes wary and focused on the fishmen in front of them, "Let him go for now."

The sea monsters and their riders had formed a semi-circle around the Thousand Sunny, and they were looking down at the pirates with greedy eyes.

"You're the Straw Hat Crew, aren't you?" the same fishman from before spoke.

"Who are you?!" shouted Luffy,"How do you know about us?"

The fishman lifted his hand, pressing it against his abdomen. Hawke squinted, she'd thought she'd seen a mark on his skin in that area.

"Of course I know who you are," he said in a low voice, "You're the pirates who took out Arlong's crew."

Hawke lifted her eyebrow.

"Arlong?" she asked, looking around; that name sounded familiar.

Nami had a look of surprise and nervousness on her face which put the scout on edge immediately.

"If that's all you'd done, our reaction would be obvious," the fishman went on, "But of all things, two years ago you defended Hachi-san, a former member of Arlong's crew…and from what I hear, you even beat up one of those despicable Celestial Dragons."

Hawke's eyes widened.

"Do you know Hachi?" she asked, "Is he alright?"

The fishman leered down at her.

"Acts worthy of Fisher Tiger, the hero of Fishman Island who we all admire," he didn't answer her question, and Hawke wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.

"Fisher… Tiger," Hawke looked over to see Robin watching the fishmen carefully.

"I can't decide what to do with you," the fishman laughed, "Tell me, are you friend or foe? I'll let you decide. Will you join us, the New Fishman Pirates? Or will you refuse? If you say no, we'll sink you right here and now."

Hawke stiffened; there's no way Luffy would join them.

"Nami," she whispered, "We should get ready to make a break for it."

The navigator nodded.

"Franky," she muttered, "Refill the fuel."

"What?!" Franky lifted his sunglasses off his face.

"We'll use up all the air left on the ship in one last Coup de Burst to charge straight towards the island," the navigator instructed.

"Are you serious?" the cyborg looked down at them.

"It's either that, or we came all this way just to die here," Hawke muttered.

"It's true," Robin spoke up, "I can see no other way of surviving this."

Usopp began to move.

"Right," he said, "I'll go fill up the fuel tanks!"

Franky took the helm and Hawke turned her attention forwards again.

"So!" the fishman called down, "Will you become our underling, Straw Hat Luffy?"

Hawke smirked when she saw the look on her brother's face as he lifted his head.

"No way!" he shouted, "Baaaka!"

There was a shocked silence.

"In that case you are enemies!" the fishmen began to move, "Just a group of sinful humans!"

 _Sinful?_ Hawke stared out at him, _that's a little harsh…have things really gotten that bad?_

"Baka!" Luffy shouted again, stretching his mouth out and sticking out his tongue, "Why should I have to be your underling?!"

Just then Hawke heard Usopp's voice coming over a snail phone.

"I've finished refilling the fuel!" he shouted, "Franky, we're good to go!"

The sea monsters charged, heading straight for the Sunny.

"You wanna fight?!" Luffy shouted as he, Zoro and Sanji readied their stance.

Hawke ran forward, putting her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Hang on," she said.

The rubberboy gave her a questioning look.

"Do it, Franky!" Nami shouted from behind them.

The Sunny shot off like a rocket. Hawke let out a surprised groan as the bubble deflated, pressing them all hard onto the grassy deck.

"Just endure it!" Nami shouted, though her voice was weak from lack of oxygen.

Hawke pulled as much air into her lungs as she could and looked ahead. The bubble surrounding Fishman Island was right in front of them… and then they were through!

The bubble coating the ship popped and Hawke could breathe again. She greedily sucked in air before feeling it all rush out of her body as a feeling of fear took hold.

"This bubble has two layers!" she suddenly remembered, "And the next one is water!"

"Water?!" the crew shouted as they pierced the inner layer.

Waves tumbled over the deck so fast that Hawke had no time to grab anything or anyone. They were all thrown from the ship and grabbed by a strong current.

Hawke squinted her eyes open and hurriedly searched the water.

 _We have four devil fruit users! They'll be in trouble!_ She scanned the area around her and found some of her friends. Spreading her wings, she fought the current and managed to grab a hold of Luffy and Chopper.

 _What about the others?_ She turned and peered through the water. Sanji was closest to her and Hawke saw him reaching for Robin, who was the farthest away.

 _Robin!_ Hawke beat her wings through the water and dragged the captain and doctor over to Sanji, thrusting them into his arms before turning and fighting her way over to the archeologist. The scout ignored the pressure building in her chest and managed to grab Robin's arm. Once she had the archeologist, she looked around for Brook. The skeleton was being tossed about and drawn away from the others by another current.

 _Damn it_! Hawke saw Franky was closest to her and struggled over to him, pushing Robin into his large hands, _he's not going to make it!... and I'm running out of air!_

Hawke began fighting her way after the skeleton, but her strength was at its limit. She saw Zoro trying to hold his own against the current. Hawke reached out to him, but he was being swept along with the others. And as she tried to get closer to her friends, she felt her arms and legs stop moving, and then she couldn't even move her wings any more.

 _Damn it_ , her vision clouded over and she reached out her hand, still much too far from Brook to grab a hold. The last air escaped her mouth in a thin trail of bubbles and Hawke's body was dragged along through the murky water.

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **Thank you to everyone who gave their suggestions, I really appreciate them! :)**

 **So I will be putting up a separate side story covering the time skip stuff and update it in parallel with this one. But that won't start until I've got a few more chapters up here.**

 **I hope you guys'll stick with me on this one (I know I've been going slowly). All of you guys are amazing! I see all your comments and appreciate them all! And here's a shout out to all the silent readers! I love you too! XD You guys are the reason I've kept this story going.**


	4. Chapter 4: Arrival

**Chapter 4**

 **Arrival**

Fukaboshi frowned as the Royal Gondola swam away from them, having just been hijacked by a mermaid and some members of the Straw Hat Pirates.

"That's a shame," he muttered, turning to his brothers, "We didn't get the chance to pass on Jinbei's message."

Manboshi nodded and floated forwards.

"And I didn't see the one Father wanted to see among them," he looked down at the wanted posters Fukaboshi still held in his hands.

The elder brother lifted a poster depicting a girl in a leather jacket and strange wings sprouting from her back.

"No," he frowned, "We should try and find them again as quickly as possible."

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

"Luffy-chin, Usopp-chin," Caimie smiled and gestured at a large, shark mermaid sitting on the couch in front of them, "This is Madam Shyarly, she owns the café and lets me work here."

The two pirates greeted the woman and then Luffy's attention was drawn away by a large crystal ball sitting on a pedestal behind him.

"Oh!" the rubberman peered into the foggy glass, "What's this? Can I eat it?"

Caimie quickly floated over and tried pulling Luffy away.

"No, Luffy-chin," she said, "That's Madam Shyarly's crystal. She uses it to look into the future."

The sniper perked up at these words.

"You can see the future?" Usopp asked the larger mermaid.

Shyarly, who hadn't moved from her seat and was pleasantly enjoying a pipe, bowed her head slightly.

"I could," she said, "But I have given up on looking into that crystal."

Caimie, having successfully pulled Luffy's attention back to the group, floated over and rested on the arm of the couch.

"Why, Madam Shyarly?" she asked, a slight pout on her face.

The fortune teller gave the room a small smirk.

"The future is often too dark for one's liking," she muttered, "And my predictions often cause distress for those who hear them."

Then her features stiffened and she turned to Caimie.

"The last girl who came to me asking for her future…" Shyarly's voice trailed away and she blew out a stream of bubbles from her pipe, "… it would have been better for her if I had lied about what I saw. Ever since then, I have refused to look into the crystal."

"Eh?" Usopp leaned forward, "Who was that?"

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Hawke felt hard ground beneath her as she slowly regained consciousness. A cool breeze touch her cheeks, chilling her skin.

 _Air…!_

Her body jolted onto its side and she coughed up the water that had been filling her lungs, making a puddle on the ground beside her. She took a few moments to catch her breath, soothing the burning feeling in her throat, and then lifted her head. Her wings were still outstretched and she let them relax onto the ground behind her.

Light gently filtered down to her through leaves above her head.

 _…leaves?!_

Hawke turned and let out a gasp as she saw towering trees of coral surrounding her on all sides.

"A forest?!" she stood up and took a few unsteady steps forward, "Oh, right. I remember there being a Sea Forest on Fishman Island. I never got to see it last time though, Crocodile didn't want to spend too much time here."

She stretched her arms and wings up over her head. The feathers rained droplets onto her face as they moved. Wiping the water from her eyes, the scout took in her surroundings. Other than the trees and some wreckage of ships scattered on the ground, there was no one around her.

"Where are the others?" she muttered and began heading towards the lightest spot she could see, "I hope they're alright… I wonder how long I was unconscious."

Her feet crunched on the gravel and coral that littered the forest floor and she smiled as the peaceful air of the Sea Forest soothed her, lessening her worry for her crewmates. Giant fish and whales swam through the water above her head. The light of the Sunlight Tree Eve shimmered through the leaves and cast a blue-tinted hue onto everything. Hawke gazed around her in wonder and sighed.

"So beautiful," she whispered.

Just then, she came to the clearing and looked out at the view it offered.

"So that's why it's called the Ship Graveyard," she let out a slow breath.

There were the wreckage of many ships strewn about on the sand before her. Some were very old and covered in beautiful coral, but some looked as recent as a few months ago. And standing tall among them, with barely a scratch on her, was the Thousand Sunny.

"Oh, Sunny!" Hawke shouted as she ran towards the ship, "You're alright!"

She quickly reached it and climbed onto the deck. After doing a quick once over and finding no damage, she sat down on the deck, letting her wings spread out across the grass to dry off.

"No one else is here, though," she pouted after a while, "They must've got scattered all across the island. And I was hoping I could give them a tour or something."

A shadow flitted through her mind for a brief moment. _The outline of a café… a mermaid…_

Hawke frowned and she stood, brushing the thought away and putting her hands on her hips.

"Well I suppose I should look around, now that I've found the ship," she decided, "There's no telling where Luffy and the others have got to and what trouble they're causing…"

She leapt down to the sea floor, making for the path leading away from the forest. But she stopped as her eyes caught sight of a large white monument and a shadow sitting in front of it.

Hawke froze as she recognized the outline of a familiar figure.

"J-Jinbe?!" she stammered as a smile came onto her face, "Jinbei!"

The scout clambered over the hills of coral and ship wrecks, using her wings to keep her balance and waving her arms above her head. Memories of Impel Down, Marineford and Amazon Lily surfaced in her mind.

"Jinbei-san!" she called again and saw the figure stand.

"Who is it?" a gruff voice muttered.

But by then Hawke had reached him and wrapped her arms around his back.

"It's been so long!" she smiled into his shirt, "It's so good to see you, Jinbei!"

She felt the fishman trying to move.

"Excuse me," he muttered, "But who are you?"

Hawke let go and stepped back, flaring out her wings before returning them to their tattoo form.

"You don't recognize me?" she smiled up at the Sea Knight.

A smile broke across Jinbei's face in turn and he bowed his head.

"I do now, Hawke-san," he said, "It's been a long time. I can tell you've grown stronger."

Hawke smiled and nodded her head.

"But what are you doing all the way out here?" she asked, looking at the monument behind him, "What is that?"

The fishman turned and offered the large stone a soft smile.

"This is the grave of the late Queen of Fishman Island, or rather the Ryugu Kingdom," he said, bowing his head, "Queen Otohime."

Hawke gazed in awe at the beautiful white stone, then she stiffened and bowed her head too.

"It's an honour to meet you, Queen Otohime," she said respectfully before lifting her gaze.

Jinbei was giving her another smile.

"I appreciate your respect towards the Queen," he said, then he squared his shoulders, "I take it this means that Luffy-kun has come to the island as well."

Hawke nodded.

"We just arrived. I don't know where he is though," she said, "We all got separated while trying to escape some pirates. We had to force ourselves through the bubble layers and got swept away on the current. It seems our ship and I drifted all the way down here."

Jinbei frowned at her words.

"So he hasn't gotten my message yet?" he muttered, "This could complicate things."

Hawke lifted an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

The fishman nodded his head.

"I was hoping that you and your brother would pass through this island quickly and not get dragged into our affairs. I hope he gets my message to not fight Hody and to meet me here."

Hawke lifted an eyebrow.

"Hody?" she queried, "Who's he?"

A shadow moved across the Sea Knight's features.

"A dangerous fishman," Jinbei muttered, "With even more dangerous ideas. He thinks humans are an inferior race and has been getting more and more aggressive with his discrimination lately. I fear that he may begin something that you shouldn't get involved in."

Hawke turned her gaze to the white monument again, an uncomfortable feeling growing in her stomach.

"Sounds like something Luffy would get mixed up in," she muttered, then shook her head and looked back to Jinbei, "So what have you been up to these past two years?"

The fishman returned to his sitting position, crossing his legs and resting his hands in his lap.

"After I resigned from the Warlords, my crew and I were no longer able to stay on this island," he started, "I can remain at the Sea Forest since it's outside the city, but even so, I really shouldn't be here either. I'm waiting for Luffy-kun to get my message and come here."

Hawke sat down next to him.

"But isn't this island protected?" she asked, "I thought it was under Whitebeard's name."

Jinbei nodded.

"It was," he sighed, "But after the Old Man died, another Yonko, Big Mom, took an interest and placed her flag over the main entrance. In return for her protection, a large amount of sweets must be sent to her each month."

Hawke leaned back on the coral and stretched out her legs.

"Candy?" she asked, "Well I guess it could be worse."

Jinbei let out a grunt.

"The Old Man never asked for anything in return…" his words trailed off and then he looked down at her, "So how was life with Crocodile? You seem to have come out with no serious injuries."

The girl sent him a smile as she watched the fish swim overhead.

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 _Hawke glared at the planks that were slammed against her face, fighting back tears as pain radiated down her spine. She let out a groan as a heavy weight pressed down on her._

 _"Kuhahaha," a dark chuckle came down from above her and the pressure was lifted, "Dead. You'll have to be faster than that, brat."_

 _The girl let her body fall limp as the weight was removed and she lay there panting._

 _"What? No more strength tonight?" Crocodile's voice taunted her from somewhere she couldn't see, "I can't believe you defeated Miss Hallows Eve. This is pathetic."_

 _Hawke grit her teeth and clenched her fists._

He's just trying to get you angry _, she told herself._

But its working _, her mind answered._

 _The girl pushed her body up, ignoring the sharp pains and aches telling her to stop fighting. Wiping the sweat and tears from her eyes, she took a few breaths and squared her stance._

 _"Oh?" Crocodile sneered down at her. A few strands of dark hair hung loose, framing his face as he gave her a lazy smirk, "Not done yet?"_

 _Hawke sent him a glare and sprung forward._

 _"There's no way I'm done!" she spat as she brought her knife down._

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

The soft sounds of bubbles popping brought Hawke out of her memory and she shook her head slightly, letting out a laugh.

"Actually, he's not that bad after you get to know him," she smiled up as a mother whale and her young one floated by overhead, "And he's a good teacher. I've gotten a lot stronger thanks to him."

She saw Jinbei smile and the pair sat in amiable silence for a while. Hawke watched the fish dance in the water above her and blinked when she saw something floating down to them. She stood up and stretched again before shielding her eyes and watching the object approach.

"Is that a fish?" she mumbled, drawing Jinbei's attention.

"It looks like a taxi," the fishman grunted.

"A taxi?" Hawke repeated as she saw two figures sitting in some sort of harness on the fish's back.

As the taxi fish came in to land, she saw the large outline of her cyborg friend appear, along with a fishman she didn't know.

"Franky!" Hawke called and ran over to greet him, her relief clearly showing on her face.

"Ow!" the shipwright laughed as he saw her running towards him, "So this is where you went."

Hawke smiled as she came to a stop before her friend.

"Do you know where the others are?" she panted, "I think I'm the only one who ended up down here."

Franky smirked and gave her a thumbs up.

"Thanks for getting Robin to me," he said, "I left her and the navigator in the city. I wanted to find Tom's brother."

The cyborg gestured to the fishman who had come to join them.

"He'll recoat the Sunny for us," he said before running over to inspect the ship.

Hawke smiled at the fishman.

"Thank you very much for doing this," she bowed her head.

"It's not a problem," the fishman laughed, "My name is Den. I'll coat your ship with a Don!"

Hawke laughed and began leading the way back to the Sunny.

"Sounds good," she smiled.

The scout stayed on the ground and watched as the two men began their inspection, both of them spouting praises about the ship and talking like old friends. Hawke looked over her shoulder and saw that Jinbei had stayed sitting by the Queen's grave.

 _He must have known her personally_ , she thought, _I wonder how she died._

"Oh, so this is where the Sunny is?" a new voice spoke up from behind her.

Hawke spun around with a wide smile on her face.

"Robin!" the scout ran over to hug the archeologist, who was walking along the path coming from the city.

The older woman smiled and returned her hug.

"And this is where you were?" she asked as Hawke stepped back.

The scout nodded and the two women approached the Sunny.

"Robin!" Franky lifted the glasses off his eyes with a large metal thumb, "Have you finished what you set out to do?"

The women had reached the ship by now, but instead of stopping, Robin walked right past it.

"Not yet," the archeologist said, "There's something I want to confirm."

Hawke sent her a questioning glance.

"Over there," Robin said making for the forest.

"Hey!" Den called, making the woman stop, "That's not a place for outsiders to just casually stroll into!"

But Robin smiled.

"I appreciate the warning," she said, turning as if to move on, "Would you care to join me, Hawke?"

The scout turned to see Robin holding out her hand.

"This kingdom holds a vital clue to the mystery of the void century," the archeologist gave her a calm smile.

Hawke's eyes widened and she quickly took Robin's hand.

"Let's go!" she smiled, "We'll be back soon, Franky!"

The older woman nodded and the pair headed off towards the Sea Forest.


	5. Chapter 5: Not the First

**So since it's been so long since the last update, I decided to make an SBS for Hawke (I got the idea from traveling-imagination and their story: Porcupine Quills (go check it out, it's pretty good))**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Not the First**

Hawke breathed in the warm air as the trees of coral closed in around her and Robin as they moved further into the forest. The trees themselves were silent, no animals moved around in the shadows or through the branches. But a constant bubbling sound came down from above them, emitted from the fishes that were swimming above their heads.

"So you found a clue?" the scout turned to the woman walking beside her.

Robin nodded and handed her some papers. Hawke took them and skimmed their contents. It seemed the archeologist had done some asking around because there were many notes written down in quotations. Each one spoke of the Sea Forest, or the Ship Graveyard, or a mysterious legend concerning something called Noah.

"So you think there's a poneglyph in here somewhere?" Hawke asked, returning the papers to the archeologist.

"Yes," Robin scanned the trees around them.

The pair moved on in silence for a little while. Hawke kept her eyes peeled for anything cube-like, but found her gaze always wandering up when a shadow passed over, cast from the fish above them.

"It's so amazing!" she sighed as a huge sperm whale swam over, letting out some moaning calls as it went, "To think we're ten thousand meters _under water_!"

There was a soft chuckle at her side and Hawke looked over to see Robin smiling up at the whale as well.

"Yes," the archeologist said, "It is quite magical. I hope none of them swim too low and fall on us."

Hawke blinked.

"Can that happen?" she wondered nervously, looking up again.

"Well, let's continue," Robin said and moved on.

Hawke stayed and watched the whale disappear before hurrying after the older woman.

"I thought you'd already been here?" Robin asked once Hawke had caught up.

The scout nodded.

"Yes, I have already been to Fishman Island," she said, "But I stayed in the city and it was only for a day."

Robin glanced over at her.

"Oh?" she said as they squeezed through two trees that were growing very close together, "So you've spent these two years in the New World?"

Hawke felt a small flush in her cheeks as she extricated herself from the trees.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I wanted to see what was ahead of us… so we know a bit about what we're heading into."

Robin smiled.

"That sounds like something a scout should do," she said, and then her expression changed and she froze.

Hawke blinked and turned to follow the archeologist's gaze.

"The poneglyph!" she gasped.

The large cube of grey metal sat on the forest floor. It had once been in a clearing, but through the hundreds of years it had been left undisturbed, the vegetation had taken over and now it was almost covered in coral and algae. Hawke blinked as she saw the coral that had once covered the ancient writing had been torn away. Pieces littered the ground in front of the poneglyph and the writing was fully exposed.

 _Has someone already been here?_ she wondered _, but Robin's the only one who can read poneglyphs…_

"Wow!" she gasped aloud, "What does it say, Robin?"

The archeologist stood stock still while she read the words no one else could read. As Hawke waited for her friend to finish, she walked around the large stone. There was just enough room to squeeze behind it and she made her way around, scanning the perimeter. But there was no other writing or symbols of any kind on the other faces of the cube, so she returned to the front. Her breath caught in her throat as her foot clipped the corner of the poneglyph.

"Ah!" the scout let out a small squeak as she stumbled and fell towards the ground.

Hands appeared out of the gravel and caught her.

"Thanks, Robin," Hawke panted as she was let down gently.

She sat up and dusted off her knees, then leaned back against the poneglyph, resting her head on the cool stone. She could just make out a jellyfish swimming lazily over them through the branches.

"So?" she looked over to Robin.

The archeologist was now sitting on a piece of coral and writing on the papers she'd brought.

"This is different from any of the poneglyphs I've seen before," she said quietly

Hawke's eyes widened and she craned her neck to look up at the stone behind her, wishing she could read the symbols and designs etched onto its surface.

"This is like…" Robin continued and seemed lost in her own thoughts, "A letter of apology…Who are you apologizing to? Who are you?..." She stood and approached the stone, reaching out her hand and pressing it against the surface.

"Hmm?" Hawke sent gave her a questioning look, but Robin didn't answer the scout. Instead she remained silent as she wrote on her papers.

Hawke let out a sigh and brought a finger down to the gravel at her side, tracing it absentmindedly through the dirt.

"It mentions Poseidon," Robin's voice drew her attention upwards, "Another one of the Ancient Weapons."

Hawke's eyes widened and she let out a gasp.

"Poseidon?!" she asked eagerly, "Does it say anything about Uranus?!"

The archeologist turned to her with a startled look.

"You know of all three Ancient Weapons as well?" she asked.

The scout nodded.

"Well I knew Uranus was one... because of Salem's letter," she said, "But I've heard mentions of Poseidon."

Robin smiled and nodded.

"Ah, yes, I had forgotten you had that letter," she said, turning back to the stone, "That's a nice drawing you've made."

Hawke blinked and looked down at the gravel. The tracings she'd left in the ground were random squiggles and swirls, some of them in the rough shape of butterflies.

 _Really?_ She thought and was about to open her mouth to say they weren't that great, when she caught sight of something that made her heart start to race.

"What?!" she leapt to her feet and then squatted down, staring intently at the ground, "What is this?!"

In the gravel, a few centimeters away from where she had been doodling, there was a symbol drawn out with precision in the dirt. Hawke felt her breath becoming quicker as she gazed at the tracings. Her eyes moved over the crossed swords, up to the drawn skull that was quite similar to the real thing, and then rose to the one wing extended out from the skull's right side.

"Oh my god," her breath came out in a rush, "This is Salem's mark!"

There was a quiet rustle as Robin bent down beside her to analyze the symbol.

"It's relatively recent," the archeologist said, "But the edges are slightly caved in. I'd say this was made within the past two years."

Hawke felt a smile come onto her face. She tore her gaze away from the mark and stared up at the poneglyph.

"He's alive?!" she exclaimed, "Salem's alive and still searching!"

She pressed her hands against the stone. This was an amazing discovery! It had been years since she'd found anything relating to her mysterious predecessor.

"He must've been the one who cleared away the coral!" she muttered, "He must have come here and left this mark… for me?"

She looked back down at the pirate crest. It had definitely been placed there on purpose; to be seen. The gravel had been brushed away and the lines were solid and deep. It was placed near the front right corner of the poneglyph, out in the open.

"Anyone could see it... it's embarrassing that I missed it," she was talking to herself now, "But no one comes down here unless they're searching for the poneglyph."

The scout began pacing back forth, her mind working incredibly fast.

"But why leave this mark here?" she wondered, "If Salem was alive, he should have seen our wanted posters and known who I was. Why didn't he make contact?"

"Perhaps he was imprisoned," Robin's voice broke into her thoughts, "His letter said that he was being followed, and you got his flag from that bounty hunter."

Hawke stopped her pacing and frowned.

"Yes," she recalled, "So if he was imprisoned, he wouldn't know about me… so he must've been released after we got separated… and then he came here and left this for me to find?"

Her eyes moved between the mark and the poneglyph.

 _All the papers covered our disbandment by Kuma_ , she thought _, and the events of the war weren't too embellished on most points. So if he had seen the papers, he'd know that we never made it to Fishman Island… and that I "disappeared" after the War…_

She frowned as she tried piecing together the reasons Salem might've left this mark in the Sea Forest. Still struggling with the realization that he was out there somewhere. Then she bent down and reached out her finger. She carefully traced it through the dirt, drawing out a second wing behind the skull. Then she stood and dusted off her hands.

"Well," she sighed, "If he comes this way again, he'll know we've been here and seen it."

Robin gave her a smile and a nod. Hawke put her hands on her hips and looked down at the modified mark.

"So Salem is alive…" she smiled, "I want to meet him!"

Robin chuckled.

"I'm sure you two will meet," she said, "After all, news of our return will soon spread. Especially since our captain caused such a scene on our departure."

Hawke laughed.

"Yeah," she sighed happily, "He hasn't changed at all…"

Her voice trailed away as she reminded herself that he had changed, they both had. Though they had moved on from Ace's death, it had left its mark on both siblings and some of those scars would never disappear.

Hawke's hand moved to the base of her neck, feeling for a raised lump. Her mind drew up the figure of Luffy and the large x-shaped mark covering his chest.

 _We'll always bear our scars_ , she thought, sadness rising in her chest.

Her hand left her neck and instinctively reached for her necklace. Her fingers wound around the cross, bead and locket and she felt her emotions calming.

"Do you need more time here?" she turned to Robin.

The archeologist nodded and sat back down.

"I'll be along in a while," she said, turning her gaze back to the poneglyph, "You go ahead and see who else has arrived."

Hawke nodded and spread her wings. She quickly took off, her mind buzzing with thoughts a Salem and the poneglyph. _I wonder where he is now?_ She was suddenly very aware that she needed to meet Salem, the only person she knew who might know more about the real purpose of the Dark Angel. Her thoughts were interrupted when the silhouette of the Sunny appeared. Hawke squinted ahead and shaded her eyes. _I hope Zoro's found his way here,_ she thought. But then another silhouette appeared next to the ship.

"There's a giant mermaid sitting by the Sunny," she blinked, _wait…giant mermaid_ , "Is that the Mermaid Princess?!"

It seemed that almost the whole crew had shown up. Everyone except Usopp, Brook and Zoro (and Robin) were sitting on the ground, as well as Jinbei, the Mermaid Princess, Caimie, Pappug, Hachi, and the shark who wore clothes. Hawke pouted a bit at the swordsman's absence, but her attention was quickly called elsewhere.

"Oi, Hawke!" Luffy shouted and smiled up at her, "So that's where you went! Jinbei said you went into the forest."

The girl smiled and flew down, landing lightly and returning her wings to tattoo form.

"If Jinbei told you then why are you acting so surprised," she giggled. Luffy just gave her a wide grin.

"Hawke-swaaaan!" Sanji leapt up from his spot and danced over as she came in to land, "Your angelic beauty knows no bounds!"

Hawke blinked as he presented her with a tea cup and began fawning over her.

"Oh, you're back to normal, Sanji," she smiled at the cook's old antics.

"Yep!" Chopper called happily, "He's made a full recovery!"

Hawke smiled and then turned her attention to the rest of the people gathered around. Hachi and Caimie were lying near Chopper. The scout waved at the pair, feeling happy to see them after such a long time. But then she saw the bloody bandages covering the fishman's body.

"Oh, Hachi!" she cried, "What happened to you?!"

The octopus man was covered in dark bruises. The scout ran her hand over Hachi's forehead. _At least he doesn't have a fever,_ she thought as her body turned to go into the ship to get the first aid kit.

"He'll be alright, Hawke-chin," Caimie smiled reassuringly, breaking her concentration.

"Yeah," Chopper's voice spoke up, "He's stabilized already, so he just needs to stay resting now."

Hawke blinked and saw the reindeer kneeling next to her. She paused and smiled. _Right_ , she thought, _this crew already has a doctor and cook. I'm just the scout now._ Hawke gave Chopper a smile and then stepped back, turning to the giant, pink mermaid sitting on the ground.

"Caimie," she whispered, leaning towards her friend, "Is that the Princess?"

The smaller mermaid nodded.

"Luffy brought Princess Shirahoshi here to see her mother's grave," she said.

Hawke smiled and bowed her head.

"It is an honour to meet you, Princess Shirahoshi," she addressed the princess.

The large mermaid smiled happily and nodded.

"Luffy-sama's friends are all so nice," she said in a light, quavering voice.

Hawke laughed.

"Well I hope my brother hasn't caused you too much trouble," she said, sending a quick glance back to Luffy and seeing he was talking to Jinbei, "He can be quite troublesome sometimes."

Shirahoshi's eyes widened.

"You're Luffy-sama's sister?" she asked and stuck out a large finger, "Oh my, it's nice to meet you."

Hawke smiled and nodded, shaking the Princess's hand as best she could. Just then, the sound of a clearing throat came from behind her.

"If I may," Jinbei called out, drawing everyone's attention, "Let's talk."

Hawke saw Nami stiffen, as well as Sanji and Luffy give the fishman strange looks. She had clearly interrupted an important conversation with her arrival.

"The one who set Arlong out on the East Blue," Jinbei lowered his face, "Was me."

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Hawke smiled as she watched Nami and Shirahoshi become friends. _Nami's so strong_ , she thought as her eyes found the tattoo on the navigators shoulder _… we all have scars…_ Her gaze moved to Luffy, who was still asking questions about the story Jinbei had just finished telling about the rise and fall of the Fishman Pirates and the Queen Otohime.

"I can't believe he slept through that," she sighed, "I thought he was being unusually quiet."

Just then a voice called down.

"Oi, Hawke!" Franky leaned out over the rail of the ship, "The journey down here seems to have stretched Sunny's sails a bit too much, there's a rip on the top near the main mast. Can you fly up there and mend that real quick? I gotta take care of some stuff down here."

Hawke nodded.

"Sure, Franky," she said and spread her wings, flying up to take the needle and thread from him before soaring up to land on the sail.

She quickly found the tear and began her work.

"Oh!" she heard a quavering voice from behind her, "Hawke-sama… what are those?"

The scout looked up to see Shirahoshi pointing at her back.

"You mean my wings?" Hawke lifted an eyebrow, "They're… my wings."

The mermaid's eyes widened and she reached out a large finger to touch Hawke's feathers.

"Wings?" Shirahoshi's voice quavered excitedly, "Like the bird-sama's in my story books! I've never seen them before. I didn't know humans had wings. Does this mean Luffy-sama has them also?"

Hawke paused in her sewing and looked back at the mermaid, feeling her stroking her feathers. _I never really thought about it_ , she realized, _but it's true that she wouldn't have ever seen a bird if she hasn't been to the surface._

"Well, no," the scout smiled, "Humans don't have wings."

Shirahoshi seemed confused.

"Are you a bird-maid?" she asked, her fingers still stroking Hawke's feathers, "Father-sama said there are people who live in the clouds. Are there birdmen that live in the sky, with the sun? Like the fishmen who live under water?"

Hawke smiled and turned her attention back to her work.

"No," she shook her head, "There aren't any bird-people. I'm still a human… I just have wings too. There are people who live in the sky though. They're probably the ones your father was talking about. They live on islands that float above the clouds."

"Wow," Shirahoshi sounded intrigued, "There are so many interesting people who live above the water."

The scout smiled as she tied the finishing knot on the sail.

"There sure are," she said, "But there are a lot of interesting people down here too."

Just then, Hawke heard the unmistakable cry of their doctor.

"Ah!" Chopper squealed, "What is that?!"

Hawke's hand flew to her holster and her eyes immediately found the little reindeer. He was backing away from what looked like a large survey snail. The scout released her breath and let her hand fall.

 _Oh, he's fine_ , she sighed as she let her body relax. She sat down on the sail and watched the snail crawl forward and then display a screen in the air in front of the crew.

The face a fishman appeared on the screen. His dark hair and hat obscured one eye, but the other was glaring and piercing. Hawke swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at the sight of his eye. It was empty and mocking. Even though she was looking at an image, she felt like an object under his gaze.

"There's something I want to tell all the citizens of the Ryugu Kingom," the fishman began speaking into the receiver he held in his hand, "This country will soon be destroyed. And it will be rebuilt under a new king. Namely me!"

"Hody…" Hawke heard Jinbei mutter.

 _So this is Hody,_ she stared at the fishman on the screen, _the one Jinbei didn't want Luffy to fight._ Hody began speaking again.

"The new Fishman Island over which I will rule is going to have strict rules. Those of you who hope for friendly relations with humans, get packing and leave this country!"

Hawke's eyes widened.

"Humans are weak and they don't know their place," Hody continued, "They don't deserve any help from us strong fishmen."

"What is he talking about?" Jinbei growled, his fists clenching.

Hawke bit her lip as she listened to the broadcast. Whatever was happening in this country, it seemed like they had arrive on this island right before a hostile take-over of some kind.

"No!" Shirahoshi let out a gasp and Hawke looked up to see a huge merman in chains displayed on the screen, "Father-sama!"

"The king?!" Hawke gasped.

"Hmmm," Nami sighed and brought her hand to her chin, "The king was captured because of us… or Zoro."

Hawke looked down and saw the navigator turn to Sanji.

"Don't worry, Nami-san," the cook smiled, "It's all that moss head's fault."

"What did you people do?!" Jinbei shouted.

"Yeah," Hawke called down, "Why would you capture the King?!"

Caimie intervened and tried to explain what had happened in the palace, but she was interrupted when Hody spoke out from the screen again.

"People of Fishman Island!" he leered out at them, "It's time to say goodbye to the old Ryugu Kingdom! Three hours from now, in the Conchorde Plaza, I'm going to cut this incompetent King's head off!"

"What?!" Hawke gasped.

She heard Shirahoshi whimper and flew up to the mermaid's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"It's alright Princess," she said soothingly, "We won't let him do that to your father."

"Look what we found in the palace," Hody was still talking, "It's the letter from the Celestial Dragons that Queen Otohime got 10 years ago, she risked her life for it! If I destroy this letter, it's over. You won't get another one."

He let the letter fall and the camera followed him as he walked over to a box overflowing with papers. He threw some on the floor and stomped on them. Hawke clenched her fists. After just hearing about all the trouble and sacrifice that the Queen and her children went through to get all those papers, she couldn't believe how Hody was treating them!

"And lastly…" Hody's voice drew her attention once more to the screen, "Straw Hat Pirates! I'll show you something good."

The screen suddenly changed and displayed some familiar figures trapped in a small cage.

"Zoro! Usopp! Brook!" Chopper shouted and ran around in circles, "They've been caught!"

Hawke's eyes narrowed and her fists clenched as Hody's voice continued.

"I know you are somewhere on the island watching this. You people shattered Arlong's dream- he was a symbol of Fishmen's anger!"

As they watched, the cage containing their friends was hoisted up into a large room that was slowly filling with water.

"That room will be filled with water by the time we finish executing the King," Hody laughed into the receiver, "You lowly creatures can't survive that, can you?" he held up Luffy's wanted poster, "Straw Hat Luffy with a 400 million beli bounty! Your people's heads will serve perfectly as a lesson to humans above ground. Now let's start cleaning up old Ryugu Kingdom!"

There was a click and the screen went black. Hawke hovered near Shirahoshi's shoulder, resting her hand on the mermaids arm as they both stared in horror at the blank screen. Luffy slowly turned around, his face hidden under the shadow of his hat.

"Hey," he muttered, then his cheeks flushed and he lifted his head, "He said I'm worth 400 million! When did they raise it?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Hawke couldn't help but let out a giggle as her brother got hit over the head by Nami.

"The War of the Best at Marineford made you infamous instantly," Jinbei said as Luffy rubbed his head grumpily, "When it goes over 300 million, it is not easily increased again."

Hawke felt something under her hand tremble and looked down to see Shirahoshi shaking, her fists clenched.

"Father-sama…" the Princess whimpered.

Hawke lowered herself to the ground and rested her hand on Shirahoshi's scales.

"Princess," she said worriedly as tears began falling down the mermaid's face.

"Father-sama!" Shirahoshi exclaimed again, "Father-sama! Father-sama!"

Suddenly Hawke was flung back as the mermaid leapt up.

"Megalo!" the Princess called and the shark swam over, "I have to go save him!"

Shirahoshi grabbed the shark's shirt and began swimming away.

"Oi! Wimp!" Luffy suddenly shouted, "Don't push Hawke around!"

"Megalo! Wait!" Jinbei's shout worked and the shark hesitated.

"But, Boss Jinbei-sama," Shirahoshi whimpered.

"You have to wait," Jinbei said sternly, "What Hody is most afraid of in the Ryugu Kingdom now is Princess Shirahoshi's ability!"

Hawke got up off the ground and dusted herself off.

"True," she muttered, "Even if he reshapes Fishman Island the way he wants to, she could make the sea kings destroy the whole island."

Jinbei nodded.

"He took the King hostage to use as a shield," he said.

Hawke moved over to stand with Nami and Luffy. She could tell from Luffy's expression that they were going to go fight Hody, but she knew that they couldn't just burst in guns blazing. She wasn't going to allow her friends to get hurt here, before they had even reached the New World! _We have to get Zoro and the others_ , she thought with a frown.

"So what they're really going for is Shirahoshi-chan," Sanji took a drag on his cigarette.

Hachi lifted his head off the ground.

"Nyu- Hody doesn't want to capture her and bring that power under his control," he panted, "He prefers her power didn't exist at all."

Megalo slowly sank back to the ground, carrying Shirahoshi with him.

"I have been told about my power," the Princess said, "But I have never communicated with the sea kings... I don't even know if I really have that kind of power."

Hawke lifted her head and smiled.

"Don't worry, Princess," she said, "I know what it feels like to be told you're very important to other people, even if you have no idea if you're really capable of what they say you are. If you do have these powers, it won't change who you are, but it will help you if you learn to use them properly. You could fulfill your mother's dream if you really worked at it."

The large mermaid stared down at her with wide, watery eyes.

"You really think so, Hawke-sama?" she whimpered.

Hawke nodded determinedly and Shirahoshi wiped her eyes and smiled.

"Alright," the mermaid nodded, "Hawke-sama, will you help me?"

The scout smiled and nodded.

"Of course," she felt a warm sensation in her chest as she made this promise. She knew she would help Shirahoshi in any way she could.

There was a pause.

"Is that all?" Luffy stepped forward, "Then let's get going. Shark! Take me to Ryugu Palace!"

"Wait! Luffy-kun!" Jinbei stepped out, "You people shouldn't fight Hody!"

Everything froze.

"Jinbei, he has my friends," Luffy's voice was low.

Hawke watched as the tension between the two men escalated to blows. Then she found herself laughing as Robin appeared in the middle of the fight and Sanji leapt to save her only to be punched in the face by both Jinbei and Luffy and all three men dropped to the ground. _I've missed this so much_ , she smiled, then grew serious and stepped forward.

"Think about this, Luffy," Hawke raised her voice, earning everyone's attention, "What will happen if we resort to violence now? Every time fishmen have tried to open their hearts to humans, humans have disappointed them. Why would we be any different in their eyes?"

"But, Hawke-san," Sanji was still lying flat on his back, but he had his cigarette lit, "We have to rescue our crew. And if nothing is done, Hody will rule Fishman Island."

Hawke sent the cook a soft smile.

"I know that Luffy wants to fight. I want to fight too," she said, "because of what you say, Sanji, and because we have many friends who live here. Jinbei, Hachi, Caimie, Pappug. You've all helped us in the past. And if Luffy wants to fight, we will go along with him," she crossed her arms.

The fishman and Luffy both stood.

"Jinbei!" the rubberboy said, "Get out of my way! You gotta let me go!"

"No!" Jinbei returned, "Leave this to me!"

"You guys!" Hawke snapped, stepping between them and flaring out her wings, "Listen! You both want to help the country and your friends," she turned to Jinbei, "It seems we are going to fight Hody whether or not you agree with us. So we're going to have to work together."

The fishman crossed his arms and stepped back, giving her a stern stare before bowing his head.

"I do have plan that will hopefully show you in a positive light in the citizens eyes…" he began.

 **ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **Solace D. Hawke SBS**

Animal: Butterfly

Numbers: 06, 77, 10

Colour: White

Smell (according to Chopper): Coconut, vanilla (right after a shower)

Favourite Island and season: Summer on a Summer Island

Favourite foods: steamed vegetables and fried fish (Makino's specialty)

Least favourite food: licorice (hates the flavour)

As a family: second daughter

Nationality: Irish

Cover page (chapter 790): Ireland (leprechaun costume)

Inner brain: _Nakama… knives… cleaning… prophecy_

Flower: Mountain Lily

Blood type: XF, AB (same as Zoro and Franky)

Bathing: Every day

Japan Prefecture: Ishikawa

Sea of Origin: East Blue

Typical hours of sleep: 8 hours

Suitable career choice: Librarian/Bookshop keeper

Cooking abilities: pretty good, but best at pub food

 **oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

 **If you have any questions feel free to ask or give suggestions. I'll try my best to answer :)**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. And for those of you waiting on some ZoHa fluff, it's coming soon, don't worry ;P**

 **Cheers!**


	6. Chapter 6

AAAAArrrrrrrggghhh!

So I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been online or done any updates or anything :( but the truth is I've hit a serious block in my stories and haven't been able to get over it. Plus I found this huge plot hole in Enter the Angel and so was rewriting a part of that story and then figured I might as well rewrite the whole thing.

I know this isn't what anyone wants to hear, but I think I can make my writing better and so that's what I'm going to focus on for a bit (and hopefully the writers block will go away).

So The Archangel Rises will be put on Hiatus until further notice and Enter the Angel will be rewritten.

Again, I'm so sorry that I haven't been delivering lately, life's been a bit difficult :( but writing is therapy and working at this makes me feel so much better (despite the frustration of writers block .)

Thanks for being so patient with me 3


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